MadSci Network: Physics |
Q: I am doing a research work on different factors affecting the flight of a frisbee. I would be extremely pleased if you could give me some suggestions in this direction. A: First thing I'd try is to put a very directional LED and watch battery on the frisbee which would allow you to make a good estimate of how fast the fresbee is spining. There are keychain lights available for about a dollar that would do the trick. Next thing that comes to mind is tacking weights on the frisbee in different places. One thought that could add a lot of complexity, is to have several people throwing an identically configured frisbee. You could figure out how much skill is involved in frisbee throwing, and how much is just the frisbee "wants to" fly. Good research!
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